1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to surgical instruments and, more specifically, to staple cartridges for surgical stapling instruments having a reduced diameter.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Surgical stapling devices for stapling tissue typically include a tool assembly having a staple cartridge, an anvil, and a knife that can be actuated to effect simultaneous dissection and suturing of tissue. When compared to traditional methods of manually applying threaded sutures to tissue, the use of surgical stapling devices to suture and dissect tissue has increased the speed of the suturing procedure and thus, minimized patient trauma.
In an endoscopic surgical procedure, a surgical stapler is inserted through a small incision in the skin or through a cannula to access a surgical site. Due to the complexity of known surgical stapling devices, a continuing need exists for small diameter surgical stapling devices that are suitable for insertion through smaller diameter openings, e.g., a 5 mm cannula, that can effectively suture and dissect tissue.